'Down time' 

For competitive swimmers August is time for rest. Mentally and physically. Though some will compete in meets in early August the majority of the swimming community is off and has an opportunity to do a few things as they gear up for the Fall season.

The first and most important is rest. A chance to let the body recharge. After a few days of rest (doing nothing) we encourage everyone to remain active doing other sports / outdoor activities, Running, biking, hiking, etc. are good substitutes. If going to the local community pool, easy unstructured swimming is fine a few times per week. No stopwatches, no pace clocks, no written workouts.

Post year analysis is the next thing to address during August. What goals did you establish for yourself? How many of those goals were achieved? Did you far exceed your goals or did you fall short? Were you and the coaches in agreement on your goals, the game plan, and ultimately the execution of that game plan? What did your coach think of your execution? Did he / she think you did a great job with attendance and training efforts? And if they thought you could give more, how did you respond to their suggestions?

As you look forward, always keep in mind that a new season starts as a blank sheet. Now is the time to plan for the upcoming year and positively affect next years' outcome. The great swimmers (and athletes for that matter) follow this simple procedure regularly. Set goals, establish a game plan, execute that game plan, then review. Needless to say, keep those elements that worked well and toss out those things that didn't work. Know the difference between things you CAN change (attitude, attendance, effort level) and those things you CANNOT change (weather, practice schedule, meet conditions, etc) and learn to make the most of what you can change and let go of the variables you have no control over.

When you sit down with your coach, remember that he / she ultimately wants to see you become a successful swimmer for the long term. You may not always see eye to eye, and there may be times you don't want to do things their way. A few reminders to tell yourself when you are faced with these normal feelings...

1) Your coach can see the bigger picture far better than you.

2) You are not the first swimmer your coach has worked with.

3) Your coach gains nothing by seeing you fall short of your goals.

4)Your coach is not there to stroke your ego, but will encourage you as needed.

5) Your coach is there to establish a game plan, based on your goals, and to keep you on track to achieve those goals.

Train hard, swim fast, and always have FUN!